Property Description

Seafront Sicilian Villa with Swimming Pool, Gardens and Terraces

This luxury seafront Sicilian villa is a four bedroom, three bathroom gem whose garden backs directly onto a beautiful expanse of beach on the stunning north coast of our eternally fascinating island.

With space indoors and out, a manicured lawn, large swimming pool, terraces and long wrap-around balconies, this is a luxury property in a perfect location, within easy reach of the city and airport of Palermo but also the tourist magnets of Cefalù and the Madonie natural park. In a quiet area with friendly neighbours and easy access, this is a fabulous opportunity to acquire a premium holiday home or even a highly liveable family property for a full-time relocation to Sicily.

Built in the classic style of a Sicilian villa, Francesca is a fully detached two-storey house with off-street parking, a pool house and the highest standards of craftsmanship. As an added bonus for any buyer looking for the easiest possible way to buy property in Sicily, it is sold fully furnished, with all contents as seen save for personal effects. Some of the contents have tremendous value in their own right – keep reading to find our highlights from the inventory.

The Property

On two floors with timeless architecture, Villa Francesca is as comfortable as it is pleasing on the eye. Both the decoration and furnishings are high quality and no expense has been spared to create and maintain a welcoming atmosphere.

The ground floor is dominated by a large living room-diner, with dual aspect overlooking the gardens and a characterful ceiling with exposed beams. One end of this ample space is a relaxation area furnished with comfy sofas and bookcases gathered around the open fireplace. The dining area at the other end features an antique French corner dresser, and a lovely dining table.

The fully-fitted kitchen is adorned with colourful tiles, and benefits from a walk-in pantry and a breakfast table. Also downstairs are a pair of bedrooms, a large double with a spacious en-suite bathroom and pool views and a smaller second. Finally on this level you will find a simply tiled bathroom with shower.

A partially open staircase leads up to small landing.  The same exposed beams hold up the gently sloping roof. A master bedroom has a large walk-in closet and French windows which lead onto a to long terrace with south-facing countryside views. The floor is completed by a small single bedroom, a bathroom with tub, and a welcoming lounge space which opens onto another terrace. This offers a double-bill of refreshing views – of the sea and pool.

The doors and windows are wooden and in good condition. The floors use Botticino marble. Some of the furniture is customised to fit the space, and the other pieces have been beautifully assembled. These include six Thonet Viennese chairs and some by Billelli, a pair of 19th century Sicilian chests, a Saporito painting from 1899.

Outdoors, the spaces are just as meticulously presented. A broad, shady covered terrace runs all the way around the house, reached directly from multiple rooms. This canopy keeps the fiercest heat out of the living area in summer and creates a flexible space in which to relax, eat and entertain.

A semi-glazed outdoor kitchen is complete with dining table and chairs.

The above-ground pool measures 8X4m. It is served by a neat little pool house for storing tools and garden furniture. A huge range of furniture fills the garden and terraces, from reclining chairs and sun loungers to a large free-standing awning which can offer shade to bathers

The huge manicured lawn is surrounded by 40 olive, carob, lemon, banana, lotus and cypress trees, all carefully planted and in excellent condition. There is covered car parking.

All the amenities you would expect are present. Heating is from radiators, supplemented by the fireplace and, for a decadent finish, heated towel rails in the bathrooms. Air conditioning units are present in each of the major rooms. The property draws water from a private well, and is protected by an alarm system and video surveillance service

Surroundings

The northern boundary of the property is directly onto the beach of Campofelice, part of an unbroken 20km stretch of sand and shingle that runs from the outskirts of Termini Imerese to the west as far as Cefalú to the east.

Cefalù itself is only 10km away, no more than 15 minutes’ drive. The legendary beach resort is as beautiful as ever, its untouched facade still overlooking the clean blue waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea. A long-time favourite of the independent traveller, it was showcased to the world in Giuseppe Tornatore’s Oscar-Winning 1988 film Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, and is also famous for its Medieval old town and UNESCO-protected cathedral as for its iconic rocky silhouette.

40 minutes in the other direction is Palermo, the stately but continually-evolving capital of Sicily and the fifth largest city in Italy. Here you can find all the infrastructure of a modern metropolis, including the international airport which will bring you to all the continent’s major hubs in a couple of hours.

Inland rise the imposing slopes of the Madonie Natural Park, Sicily’s most beautiful and biodiverse countryside. Dotted with picturesque villages and winding roads that are perfect for driving or biking, you will find rare species including wild boar, birds of prey and numerous indigenous trees. The park’s tallest peaks are snow-capped in winter, and – astonishingly – it is even possible to ski and snowboard less than 18km from your seafront Sicilian villa.

Potential

Everything in this fully furnished home is complete and in excellent condition – there really isn’t any work that needs to be done in order to move in. And with all the contents included, you’d struggle to find a more convenient way to buy a house in Sicily.

Aside from the well-known Cefalù, this part of the island is still largely free from the flows of mass tourism. We can’t promise you that you’ll have that beach all to yourself, it is certainly not as overwhelmed by visitors as many areas of the Mediterranean. This would make the seafront Sicilian villa an enticing prospect as a very high end rental property, if you were looking to invest in the region’s burgeoning tourism economy. Even if it’s simply an option to leverage the value of your new asset while life keeps you elsewhere, it’s an option we would certainly recommend considering.

Our sister company, Solemar Sicilia, has been pairing discerning clients with luxury vacation accommodation in North Sicily for many decades. If you see Villa Francesca as this kind of an investment, please talk to us about the advertising we can offer and our property management services. Our welcoming team speak excellent English and are waiting to hear from you.

If you’re a relative newcomer to the country, our popular Welcome to Italy package is a 360 degree concierge service, offering help with everything from utility connections to residency paperwork. We’ll even make sure you get the best deal on a SIM card for your mobile phone.

Get in touch with us today with any questions or requests – we’ll be delighted to help!